US1445314A - henry - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 13, 1923.

N. B. HENRY. APPARATUS FOR olL ExTRAcTloN.

FILED NOV. 3| 1920.

Feb. 13, 1923. 1,445,314. N. B. H EN R Y.

APPARATUS FOR OIL EXTRACTION. FILED Nov.3, 1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3 Patented Feb. i3, i923,

o narran raras NnLsoN n. HENRY, or antenna, cnons or DALLAS, Taxes, A.

IA, ASSIGNOR TO THE MIUR/RAY COMPANY, CORPORATION OF TEXAS.

APPARATUS FOR OIL EXTRACTION.

Application led November 3, 1920. Serial No. i-21,5567.`

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that l, NELSON B. HENRY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Atlanta, in the county of Fulton and State of Georgia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Oil Extraction, of which the .following is a specification.

This invention relates to apparatus for extracting oils from nuts, seeds and other oil bearing materials, and it has for its object to provide an improved apparatus for this purpose which will lessen the expense of extracting oils from materials of the kind referred to, which will reduce to a minimum the amount of manual labor required, and which will. secure the greatest possible ex traction of oil with the greatest economy of time and'eifort.

The invention consists of an oil extracting apparatus of the class described having the peculiar features of construction, organization and mode of operation set forth in the following description and particularly pointed out and defined in the claims at the close thereof. r

ln the accompanying drawings:

Figure l is a plan view,.partly in section, of an oil extracting apparatus constructed in accordance with my invention.

Figure 2 is a section on line 2-2 of Fig. l;

Figure 3 is an outer side elevation of one of the extracting presses hereinafter referred to.

Figure l is a Section on line 4 4 of Fig. 3.

Figure 5 is a plan view of one of the cage trucks hereinafter referred to.

Figure 6 is a Section on line 6 6 of Fig. 5;

Figure 7 is asection on line 7-7 of Fig. 1, illustrating the construction of the stripping or unloading' press hereinafter referred to.

In Figure l the extracting 'press A1 is shown in section on the line A1 of Figure 3; the press A2 is shown in section on the line A2 of Figure 3, with the cage removed; the

press AP' is shown in section on the line A3 of Figure 3, and the press A4L in section on the line A4 of said figure.

l shall describe my invention in connec tion with cotton seed oil extraction.

The apparatus herein shown'comprises a plurality of extracting presses A1, A2, A3, A4, A5; a stripping or unloading press B;

cage loading mechanism C; a turntable D, and a set of cages E consisting of seven in terchangeable units, two more in number than there are extracting presses A1, etc.

The loading mechanism C, `which is the same in construction and mode of operation as the loading mechanism shown and described in my co-pending application, Serial No. 385,405, filed June l, 1920, comprises a platform l adapted to serve as a support for the cages while they are being loaded, and above this platform is arranged a table or bed 2 which supports a rotatable member or disk 3. The member 3 is formed with a number of apertures 5 through it and is intermittently turned on a trunnion 4 so as to bring these apertures successively, lirst, into position beneath the outlet 6 of a cooker 7 containing a supply of cooked seed meats where each aperture is loaded with a charge of the latter, and then into position directly above the upper open end of a cage E standing upon platform l. During each period of rest of member 3 a ram or plunger 8 is operated to press the cake of meats from i the aperture 5 that is over the cage downwardly into the latter., successive cakes being thus formed and transferred to the cage until the latter is filled, ywhereupon the operation of the loading mechanism C is stopped. There are four equidistant apertures 5 provided i'n member 3 and the latter is moved step-by-Step ninety degrees at each step, so that during each period of rest of said mem ber an empty aperture 5 is stopped midway of its travel from the cage E to cooker outlet 6 and while each aperture is at rest at this point a metal plate and Sheet of hair cloth, both of the same size and shape as the aper- ,f'ture, are placed within the latter in the order named. Also during` each period of rest of member 3 a filled or charged aperture 5 is stopped midway of its travel from cooker 1 outlet 6 to cage E and while at rest at this place a hair cloth sheet and metal plate are placed on top of the material within the aperture in the order named. rl`hese hair cloths and plates are forced into the cage E by the rain 8 with the cakes. All this is more in detail described in my application above mentioned, No. 385,405.

It has heretofore been common practice to wrap chargesy of oil bearing material in Cloths which Served to contain the mass and provide numerous minute passages between the libres of the cloth for the escape oi' the extruded oil. But this method had two disad nidades, viz, that it was not possible to charge the press with oil bearing material at high temperature and that, it sulcient pressure to `ret the best oil extraction possible under the conditions was employed, the wrapping cloths were likely to `be ruptured at or near the periphery of the forming cake, and as this frequently happened in fact, even at ineffective pressures, the cost was considerable, especially when lirst quality cloths of horse or human hair were thusI destroyed. ln my dieter-med calze the hair cloths are flat on top and bottom and last indefinitely under any pressure desired.

Each cage E includes in its construction a false bottom 23 which, at the start of the loading operation, is raised to the upper end oiC the cage and yieldingly supported by a ram forming part of loadingmechansm C, said false bottom and ram being forced downwardly step-by-step as successive cakes are shoved into the upper end of the cage by plunger 8. The cylinder 11 within which ram 10 is housed is connected by pipes 12 and 13 with a supply of liquid under head or pressure and in pipe 13 is arranged a three-way valve 14 adopted to be adjusted to admit liquid under pressure into cylinder' 11 and raise ram l() alter which said valve is closed and adapted also to open pipe 12 to the exhaust pipe 131, when desired. The pipe 12 has connected with it another pipe 15 within which is arranged a relief valve 416 which yieldingly holds within cylinder 11 the fluid admitted byl valve 1li as described. (It will therefore be clear that as the cakes are forced into the upper end of the cage the ram 10 yields downwardly but with suicient resistance to ensure forming and compacting and unil'orm spreading of the cakes as they are deposited within the cage. That is, when `plunger S descends to torce a cake from member into the cage it Vmeets with resistance trom ram 10 and the cake is thereby Jformed and compacted in the die between the plates and cloths with a predetermined pressure suliicient to cause the liquid in cylinder 11 to escape past the relief valve 16.,

`and the caks to be received into the cage.

Each cage comprises a steel slee-ve or cylinder 1T into which are pressed'ar number oit rings 18 having openings ci: the same size and shape as the die openings 5 of member Through these rings are formed registering; channels 1S) which are slotted to open into the interior of the cage and which constitute conduits for the oil when 4the cakes are subjected to expressing pressure. 1n the .preferred yform' of cage, which is illustrated in Figs. l and 2, the rings 18 nfl-saam are slotted or grooved on the outer surface, at 1S to form steam passages, for heatingpurposes. These seileral annular grooves are connected by a groove or grooves 18 running crosswise et' the annular groovesv and registering with a corre'spending` groove in each adjacent ring, whereby steam may be passed into the spaces 18a and the cage heated to a desired temperature. The sleeve or cylinder 17 rests at its lower end upon a base consisting ot a truck 20 mounted upon wheels or rollers 21, said base truck being made with an opening 22 through it iior the passage ot' the rain 10. lilachcage also includes in its construction a `ialse bottom 23 which normally is at the lower 'end of the cylinder' resting upon base truck 20, and which, at the start of the cake forming and cage loading` operation is raised to the upper end of the cage and yieldingly supported by ram 10, said jr'alse bottom and ram being forced downwardly step-bystcp assuccessive cakes are orme'th compacted and shoved into the upperpend of the cage. The cage base 20 is made upon its top side with an annular trough or basin 24 with which the lower ends ol all of the vertical channels 19 communicate. Communicating with this trough or chamber 24 is an outlet port 25 normally closed by an inwardly opening, spring pressed valve 26.

rl`he turntable D comprises a circular body 27 upon the underside of which are three radially disposed shafts 28 journaled in bearings on said body, each of said shafts having fixed to its Outer end a roll or wheel 29 and to its inner end a bevel gear 30. The rollers 29 rest upon a circular track 31 by which the turntable is supported, while the bevel gears 30 mesh with a single bevel gear 32 fast on the upper end of a sleeve 33 journaled in a bearing on body 27 ot the turntable. The lower end of sleeve 33 is constructed to constitute a clutch co-operating `with a clutch member Bel `splined upon the lower end of a vertical shalt 35 `journaled within sleeve through which it extends and in a bearinglat the top ot body 27. At its upper end" shalt 35 has fixed thereon a worm gear 36 that is driven by a worm 37' 'fast on the armature shalt 38 Aot an electric motor 39. The electric motor `39 is started, stopped, reversed and generally controllar by means of a controller l0 mounted upon 4the top side of body 27 and connected with motor 39 ,and a source ot electrical energy in any suitable manner. In the' drawings l have indicated at 351 a housing,y carrying` the `feed wires and suitable brushes for contact with rotating terminals within, which 4:1 positioned 120 degrees, apart, each of said shafts having splined upon its inner end a i ment of said turntable.

clutch member 4t2 (io-operating with another clutch member i8 that is part of a sleeve le loosely surroundinga the inner end of said shaft al. it its inner end each sleeve 44 carries a bevel gear d5 in mesh With a bevel gear it fast on vertical shaft 85. For a portion of its length each shaft 41 is threaded and uponv this threaded portion is mounted nut 47 that is more or less rectangular in cross-section and occupies a radial groove 48 provided upon` the upper side of body 27 Within which said nut is slidable toward and from the center of the turntable. Upon its upper side each nut 47 is made with an upstanding lug,` L19 adapted to cooperate with a depending lug 50 provided on each cage base 20. rl`he grooves 48 are made with flat sides Which fit against the flat sides of the nuts 47 and thereby hold said nuts against rotation when shafts 41 are rotated to move said nuts radially inwardly or outwardly on the turntable. The clutch members e2 are moved into and out et engagement with clutch members 43 manually by means of levers 57.

A depending trunnion 58 provided upon the under side of body 27 and rotatably mounted Within a bearinp` 59 secured to the l'loor G0, serves to hold the turntable against lateral displacement.

j fls shown in Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4, each extracting,` press A1, A2, A3, A, A5, comprises a cylinder 501, Whose lower end is closed and provided upon its exterior with three radial feet each having` a screw 510 mounted therein, which screws serve to support said cylinder with provision for adjustment as is required in setting up the apparatus. Cylinder 501 contains a ram 52 and is connected by a pipe 53 With a supply of liquid under pressure or head, a three-Way valve 541 being' provided in pipe 58 for controlling the same and also an exhaust pipe 55. Each cylinder 501 is connected by a bracket 5G with the circular track 31, said bracket being fastened to the cylinder and track by bolts. Standards 81 also assist in supporting the track 81.

hach extracting press n.1, etc., includes a head blocl: 62 connected by rods 63 With its cylinder 501 and secured in position against the under side of said head block is an abutment block 611 whose under side is supported above the upper end or' its cylinder 501 a distance slightly more than the height or one or' the cages E.

Upon its top side the body 27 of turntable D provided ivith three pairs of radially disoosed rails 65 which are in the saine horizontal plane with a pair oi rails 65 provided upon the upper end of each cylinder 501 with which the rails on the turntable can be brought into register by rotative adjust- The rails 65 on the turntable extend outwardly to the periphery oi the latter While the rails on cylinders 501 extend inwardly as far as said periphery. Therefore, it Will be clear that when one olf the pairs of rails 65 on the turntable is in register With the rails olf one ofthe extracting presses a cage can be rolled 'from one pair ott rails to the other. The platform 1 oi? the loading mechanism C is also provided upon its top side with a pair olf rails 67, similar to the rails 6G ot the extracting` pres-ses, upon which rest the Wheels of the canje E that is being loaded by the mechanism C.

The unloading` press B comprises a cylinder 68, Fig. 7 that is closed at its loiver end and provided upon its exterior with screw legs 69 by which it is supported with provision for adjustment, said cylinder alsobeing connected With the rail, 31, by a bracket 70 fastened by bolts to said cylinder and rail. A head block 71 made With an opening 72 through it is provided for press l, said head block being connected with cylinder 88 by rods 78. A t its upper end the cylinder 68 is constructed with a pair of rails 711- similar to the rails 66 at the tops of cylinders 501. lVithin cylinder 68 is arranged a tivo-part extension ram consisting' of a piston 7 5 and sleeve 70. Connected with the lower end ol cylinder G8 is a pipe 77 in Which arranged a three way valve 7 8 connected by pipe 79 with a supply ot liquid under pressure or head. By means of this valise 78 communication between pipe T7 and pipe 79, as Well as between pipe 77 and an exhaust pipe 80, is manually controlled to control and operate the piston F5-76.

Journaled in bearings provided on head block 71 o1 press B is a shaft 81 termed with a crank- 82 to which is pivotally connected one end of a pusher 83. The shaft 81 is provided at one end With :i lever arm 8d by means of which it is manually rocked to operate the pusher 88.

Normally the motor 39 is in operation and shaft 85 as Well as sleeves let are being; continuously driven thereby. the clutch meinbers 34 and 42 however, being in their unclutched positions With shafts' 28 and 41 at rest and with nuts el? at the limit ot their outward movement. Upon the turntable body 27 is mounted a toot pedal depression of which acts through a rod 8G and lever 87 to litt clutch member into engagieinent with the lower clutch-end olf sleeve This connects the rotating shaft with the Wheel shafts 28 through clutch member Ell. sleeve 33, and bevel gears 82 and 80, thereby rotating the turntable. When the nuts eli" occupy their outermost positions and the turntable is thus rotated the lugs -tl of said nuts travel a path just inside oit the lugs 50 of the cagesivhich are located at presses A1,

etc., and unloading` mechanism B and loading mechanism C. 1t will thereforebe clear that by stopping the turntable with one et llov turntable rails will occupy a position behind the lug 50 of the cage E at said stai tion. lithithe two lugs 49' and 50 thus interloclred rotation of the shaft il in the proper direction will shift the nut et? toward the center of the turntable and said nut will pull the ag-e E with it, transferring said cage from the rails at said station to the rails on the turntable. lt will also be clear that the cage can be transferred. from the turntable to the rails at any one of said stations by rotation of shaft -tl in the opposite direction. The direction of rotation of the shafts ll is reversed by reversing the motor 39 through the medium of controller elO.

When a cage is transferred from one of the extracting presses A1., etc., to the unloading press B and placed in position upon the rails Telof the latter, the operator manipulates valre 78 to admit *fluid under pressure to cylinder 68. lllyhen pressure is first applied to ram l5-fio through the opening of valve 78 both parts of said ram ascend together and work in conjunction against the false bottom 83 of the cage to force the cakes up through the opening of the head bloclr 7l and as each cake emerges from opening 72 the pusher 83 is manually operated to shove the saine olf from head 7l into a chute S8 by which the cakes may be delivered onto a table for of the plates and cloths. lnasnnich as there is a plate and cloth on the top and bottom of each cake, it is evident that there will be metal contact between adjacent cakes and .therefore the several cakes will readily separate one from another when operated upon by pusher 83. After the ejection of the cakes from the cage has once commenced the pressure recuired to continue the movenient upward of the cakes decreases so that the smaller ram section 75 has capacity to finish the ejecting operation after the larger ram section 76 reaches the limit of its upward movement. This design of unloading ram greatly reduced the length which would be required for a single ram and also reduces the necessarn pump capacity7 by about onehalfM llfhen a freshly loaded cage E is transferred from loading mechanism C to one of the extracting processes A1? ete? and shoved into position within the latter an arm 89, provided on cach cylinder 501, enters the port 25 a4 d opens the valve F26 so that any oil that has collected, or later collects within the trough 24, flows ont through port 25 from which it discharges into a segmental rat 90 which extends along side of the eX- tracting presses A1@ etc. After the cage is .placed within one of the presses A1, etc., the

operator manipulates the valve 5a thereof the removal to admit fluid under pressure to the cylinder 501 of said press which forces the ram 52 thereof upwardly against the false bottom 23 of the cage E thereby compressing the material within the latter between the ram and abutment 64. During this compressingoperation the cage is free to float or move upward so as to assure practically uniform pressure on all the cakes within the cage and reduce as much as possible discrepancies in pressure due to friction of the individual cakes against the inside walls of the cage.' 5While the material within the cage is under compression by ram 52 the oil contained therein is forced from the cakes into the vertical channels 19 down which it flows into the basin or trough 24C from which latter it discharges through outlet 25 into vat 90.

luiring` the operation of the apparatus the cages l? are loaded with cooked meats at mechanism C and from said mechanism each loaded cage is transferred bymeans of turntable l) to one of the extracting ypresses A1, etc.,- where it remains for a period of time during which said extracting press is operated by successive increments of pressure to compress the contents of the cage so as to express. the oil therefrom. The cage is then removed from the extracting press and transferred by turntable D to the stripping' or unloading press B where it remains for another period of time during which said unloading press is operated to discharge the now dry caked material from the cage. .lifter the unloading operation at press B the empty cage is shifted by turntable D to the loading mechanism C for refilling and the above series of operations are repeated, During the normal operation of the apparatus all of the seven cages E are in use, there being, for the greater part of the time7 a loaded cage E in each of the extracting presses A1, etc.; another cage at press B which is either empty or being unloaded, and another cage at mechanism C either loaded or being loaded. By providing two more cages E than there are extracting presses A1, etc., it is possible always to have a loaded cage in each extracting press with its contente undergoing compression except during the interval of time that a cage is being transferred from one of the extracting presses to unloading press B and another loaded cage is being simultaneously transferred from loading mechanism C to said extracting Vpress and an empty cage is being shifted-from the unloading mechanism B to the loading mechanism C. Only about four minutes are required to maire these transfers of three cages and during this time the remaining four presses A1. etc., are expressing oil.v l/Vhen these transferring operations are carried out the cage at the extracting pressthat is to be transferred to unloading press B, the empty cage at the unloading press B and the freshly loaded cage :at the loading mechanism C, are all threer moved onto the turntable D after which the lattei` is revolved to transfer the cage trom the exl tracting press to the unloading press, to dey of extracting press Al, etc., that the operations of loading, transferring and stripping a cage may be continuously repeated Without loss of time or interruption ot the continuity of operation at maximum capacity.

ln the expression ot oil trom cotton seed, the time during which the seed is under compression is about thirty-six minutes, ot this time about thirty minutes is required, by gradual increments et pressure, to attain the maximum pressure of about tour thousand pounds to the square inch. rlhis pressure` attained is held for. a few minutes, to give time tor the fullest practical expression et oil and the escape of the oil Ytrom the seed mass to the oil ducts, leading to the trough or catch basin.

My apparatus is designed systematically so that its various parts cooperate to the best advantage in the prime Jfunction otl an oil expressing apparatus, namely, the maximum extraction of oil from the oil bearing material and in attaining, so tar as may be continuity of operation of the apparatus.y lt is highly desirable, to this end, that the cooked material should be placed in the expressing press at a temperature not materially less than the maximum temperature necessary to properly cook the material to be acted upon, say 9250 Fahrenheit. ltis obvious that by the old hand methods ot preparing the charge for the press, it was impossible to handle the charge at any but relatively low temperatures. Furthermore, by the older methods, the charge itself was not shaped nor oi uniform density, the margin of the charge especially, being thin so that it received little or no compression and had either .to be collected from the expressed cake and worked into a subsequent charge or, as Was more common, Went to Waste. My mechanical cake forming and cage loading mechanism is designed to enable the cooked material to be operated upon at high temperatures, and at such temperatures .to be formed of uniform size and shape and of substantially uniform density from centre to circumference and the finished cake deposited hot in a hot press cage and the maxb mum number oi cakes so deposited.

rl`he cake forming and cage loading mechanism is substantially automatic in operation and can be timed to suit'the special requirements oi? a particular plant. l usual adjustment is to revolve 'the actuating ring' gear 2K, eight revolutions per minute, which will produce eight cakes per minute, and, as each cage is designed `to hold thirty cakes, it will be seen that a cage will be i'illed in about `l'our minutes. These figures are given as appro rite only, sice on some substances and with some opeiatirg crews the speed may be greater, However, alia :er the speed of cake production and cage loading, the other elements will be Worked in conformity, for example, the cooker, it oli' the continuous type, which l pre'ier, will be adjusted to produce a supply ot cient 'to keep the calze former in constant operation and the presses will be in number sutlicient to care oit the alte former production, as adjusted.

The former C occupies about tour minutes in filling the first caffe, -which is tnen transferred to press v rich then begins expressing. .Former C at the same time, by the same shitting moi/'ement of the y'connecting turntal'ile haring receiyed an empty cage, begins the loading o'l the second cage, which is complete i` lfour inini'ltes, ijerring then to A l, ulrich be pressing, former C at the same time, by the saine shitting movement ol the connecting turntable having received an empty cage, begins the loading or' the cage which is complete in )tour minutes and transferred to press A3, and this cycle is continued until presses lil, A2, A?, A4 and f3.5 have been loaded and set in operation. rlhe sii-:th cage will be filled at the end oit thirty-six minutes, and the cage A1 will be removed and replaced by the newly lilled cage, the expressed cage passing by a continuous moyement to stripping press B, another empty cage being placed in former C. Thereafter, at the end oi each four-minute iilling operation, the cage will be drawn from an expressing press, onto the turntable, and an empty cage will be drawn from press B onto the turntable, and a .filled cage will be drawn from the forming mechanism onto the turntable, and the operation of the turntable will carry the loaded cage from the former C to the expressing press, the dry cage `from the expressing press to the stripping press and the empty cage from the stripping press B to the tormer C occupying about tour minutes in the transfer of the three cages. The stripping press requires but about tivo minutes to perform its function, so that it always ready to deliver and. receive. The former C operates practically continuously material suiiiand delivers a lull cage before each operation of the turntable and receives an empty cage at the end of each operation of the turntable. rIhe expressing press delivers a dry cage before each operation oil? the turntable and receives a iull cage at the end of each operation of the turntable and the stripper press delivers an empty cage before each operation oi the turntable and receives a dry7 cage at the end of each operation ot' the turntable, so that the sequence oi operation for various elements of the mechanism is not interrupted and maximum eiiiciencyand continuity of occupation for the laborers required, is attained.

I claim :M-

1. An apparatus ot the character de scribed, comprising a turntable; a plurality of cages adapted to hold material to be operated upon; a cake-forming and cage-load ing mechanism stationed adjacent said turntable; a plurality oit presses stationed adjacent said turntable; mechanical means on said turntable for shitting the cages onto and ofil from said turntable.

.2. An apparatus oi the character described, comprising a turntable; a plurality of cages adapted to hold material to be operated upon; a cake-forming and cage-loading mechanism stationed adjacent said turntable; power driven means on said turntable Yliershii'fting the ages onto and ott 'from said turntable, and manually operated means for controlling said shifting means.

3. An apparatus oi the character described, comprising a turntable having a plurality oiI tracks to receive and position a cage; a plurality of cages adapted to hold material to be operated upon; a calze-torming and cage loading mechanism stationed adjacent said turntable and having tracks for receiving` and positioning a cage, cooperating with the tracl-:s upon the turntable; mechanical means on said turntable for shifting the cages on said tracks onto and oit from said turntable.

4. In an apparatus of the character described the combination of an extracting' press: a cage for holdingmaterial to be operated upon by said press, said cage being made at its lower end with a chamber for receiving the liquid extruded from the material by the press and with an outlet for said chamber; a normally closed valve controlling said outlet; means for automatically opening said valve When the cage is shifted into position Within the press and for holdp I ing said valve open While the material Within the cage is being operated upon.

5. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of an open-endet calze-forming die mounted for movement; a cage arranged in operative relation with the movable forming die; means to eject successive cakes against a yielding plunger resistance through the open end of the die into a cage to uniformly compact and form each cake separately and to load the cage; a carraige movable in a iXed path and in operative relation with the cage to receive and shift the loaded cage; a plurality of presses in operative relation With the carriage to receive a cage therefrom and deliver a dry cage thereto. y

6. In a cage for o il presses, a sleeve; one or more rings having an external periphery closely fitting the interior of the sleeve and each having an interior space to receive material to be pressed; an external groove around each ring, forming a space enclosed by the ring and the sleeve and a slot crosswise oit said external groove registering` with a similar slot in the adjacent ring, to conne'ct said external `grooves with each other and a source of heated fluid.

7. A cage, made upv-of an outer sleeve and a plurality of rings torced into the sleeve, each ring having anannular passage formed upon its outer side and one or more cross passages intersecting the annular passage and registering With a cross passage on an adjacent ring. Y

8. In an apparatus ofthe character described, a pressure plunger; a resistance block; a cage floating'during the expressing operation by frictional engagement with its contents under pressure.

Signed at Atlanta, Georgia, this tiventyninth day of October. 1920.

NELSON B. HENRY.

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